Anzac Day

Last week end was Anzac day in Australia. Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations and the contribution and suffering of all those who have served. It is celebrated on April 25 each year in Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands and Niue in New Caledonia. ANZAC means Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, so Anzac Day was originally to commemorate the bloody Gallipoli battle between the Australians and New Zealanders from the ANZAC and the Ottoman army in 1915, during the World War I and the commitment of Australian and New Zealand troops in France and Belgium.

Every year we can observe a lot of military parades all around the world. This year was the 100th anniversary. In Melbourne, Federation Square was taken over by a sea of red handmade poppies (=coquelicots). These 250 000 poppies were woven individually and donated from around the world to honour fallen soldiers for the Anzac centenary.